1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detachable seats for wheeled carts and in particular to a detachable cover/seat for a carrying box on a wheeled cart which cover/seat may be attached to the side of the carrying box when not being used as a cover/seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In utilizing a two-wheeled cart or hand truck with a carrying box for carrying anything from groceries to tools, it is convenient to have a cover for the carrying box to shelter the items being carried and also convenient to be able to utilize that cover as a seat as well since the two-wheeled cart or hand truck is capable of standing in a stationary position with the front of the cart or carrying box contacting the ground for stability. After working using the tools in the cart or transporting a load in the cart it is convenient to be able to use the cover of the carrying box as a seat or often convenient to utilize the cover-seat to do work which may be done in a sitting position.
A problem exists when moving the two-wheeled cart or hand truck with the cover off, such as when the load in the carrying box sticks out too far to permit the cover to rest on the carrying box or when it is desirable to carry something with no cover on the carrying box. The problem is what to do with the cover. And also, how to keep from losing the cover if it is not in place on the carrying box during the moving.
A number of prior art patents have addressed the problem of providing a seat for a wheeled cart, which might also serve as a cover in some cases. None have provided a convenient place for attaching the cover to another portion of the cart for transporting it when it is not being used as a cover or seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,188, issued Jul. 17, 1984 to Maloof, shows a cart which has a hollow base portion for the storage of articles and which also provides a seat. An elongated handle is pivotally mounted on the base with a draw bar at one end and with wheels mounted on the opposite end. The handle has three positions. When it is fully extended it is swung to a cart pulling position which moves the wheels downwardly from the base to provide a wheeled cart with storage. When the handle in its extended position is turned to a second and generally vertical position the wheels are raised and a back rest is provided for the seat. In the third position, the handle folds into sections so that the entire cart assembly occupies a space only slightly larger than the base for being carried in a car trunk or otherwise.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,216, issued Jul. 24, 2001 to Wilson, a multi-purpose cart device having wheels and including a first section and a second section. Each section includes a hollow interior area that can be used for storing and maintaining any desired items. The sections can be fabricated from insulating material to allow for each section to act as a cooler. Each section further includes a mechanism for enabling it to convert to a chair when desired. Located between each section is a foldable and collapsible table. The final product is a cart that is beneficial, advantageous, and one, which will simplify and minimize the process of carrying and taking items to a recreational event.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,917, issued Jan. 13, 2001 to Goudes, provides a versatile, lightweight and compact utility cart for supporting and transporting a variety of landscaping appliances. The utility cart includes a base defining a generally planar platform, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted to the base and a handle extending upwardly from the base. The utility cart may also include a mounting arm extending outwardly from the base in the plane of the platform for adjustably mounting an accessory of the landscaping appliance. In one embodiment, the utility cart further includes a retaining arm pivotally mounted to the base and the retaining arm includes an adjustable retaining guide for temporarily retaining the landscaping appliance between the retaining arm and the platform. In a second embodiment, the utility cart further includes a mounting bracket having a U-shaped flange at one end and an L-shaped flange at the other end for temporarily securing the landscaping appliance to the platform. When the utility cart is utilized to support and transport a conventional hand-held leaf blower, the mounting bracket includes a plurality of vibration isolators for absorbing vertical shocks and forces transferred to the leaf blower and for diminishing the vibration transferred to the operator. The utility cart supports and transports a conventional hand-held leaf blower so that the leaf blower may be used over a large area or for an extended period of time and is readily converted to support and transport a garden caddy including a seat so that a user can work comfortably for extended periods of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,157, issued Dec. 14, 1993 to Ciminelli, describes an insulated beach box in which ice, beverages and various other food products may be placed with the ice maintaining the beverages and food products at a cold and fresh condition even though the beach box is placed on the beach where it may be relatively hot. The beach box includes structural features and attachments which enables the box to be effectively used as a beach chair having a seat back pivotally connected thereto which forms a pull handle when oriented generally in perpendicular relation to the top of the box which forms a seat. The box includes wheels and a rounded corner surface generally in alignment with the seat back which enables the device to be easily pulled over a hard surface by using the wheels and over sand by using the curved corner and adjacent surfaces of the box to facilitate the beach box being pulled to a desired site. The seat back includes pockets for storage of various items and is pivotally supported from the box to enable the seat back to be pivoted forwardly to a generally horizontal position to enable the beach box to be carried by the use of end handles or stored. The seat back also provides an effective support for an optional umbrella which can be detachable clamped thereto and enables various other items that may be carried to or from the beach to be supported by placing them against the upper surface of the seat and the front surface of the seat back with such items being strapped in position if desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,047, issued Mar. 2, 1999 to Dennis, discloses a utility cart which includes a cart frame fitted with a pair of fixed rear wheels and a pair of steerable front wheels and further including an ice chest or ice chest receptacle with double hinged lids and lid covers and a storage compartment located adjacent to the ice chest. Removable chair supports are upward-standing from the storage compartment for stacking one or more folded lawn chairs or the like, supporting an auxiliary table top and to provide a location for hanging a trash bag. Two or more tables are hinged to the cart frame in drop-leaf fashion for selected horizontal extension and support by means of hinged members. One of the ice chest lid covers doubles as a table and may be optionally supported by a collapsible handle optionally used for towing the utility cart. A pair of vertically-aligned umbrella brackets receive an umbrella support to shade the utility cart and the utility cart components, including the cart walls, and ice chest lids, are constructed of expanded foam insulation sandwiched between plastic sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,198, issued Mar. 31, 1992 to Baltzell, is for a seat cooler including a cushion seat member removably mounted relative to an underlying cabinet, wherein the cabinet includes a cooler chest defined by an extensible and retractable drawer container within the cabinet. A modification of the invention includes an extensible cushion member overlying the drawer, and further including retractable wheels mounted to side walls of each cabinet for portability of the organization.
What is needed is a removable seat for a wheeled cart that has a means for attaching the seat to the cart when not in use